A new archaeology gallery will open at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery in summer 2018

Following generous sponsorship from an anonymous private donor. The resource, which is now being developed, will give members of the public and scholars greatly improved access to Brighton & Hove’s rich and renowned collection of archaeological artefacts.

Janita Bagshawe, Head of Royal Pavilion & Museums which manages the city’s museums and collections, said: “Plans for the structure and content of the new gallery are still being developed but there will be a strong emphasis on the personal stories of Brighton & Hove ancestors. We’re working with scientists in the fields of archaeology and DNA profiling, to learn new things about the people who lived locally in the past.”

Cllr Alan Robins, Chair of Brighton & Hove’s Economic Development and Culture Committee, said: “Recent years have seen strong local support for the development of a gallery to showcase the city and region’s rich archaeological collections, particularly since the introduction of Prehistory to the national curriculum in 2014. These factors, and recent evaluation of visitors’ experience and engagement with the city’s collections at Brighton Museum, have demonstrated demand for an archaeology gallery, which we’re delighted the museum can deliver thanks to the generous support of a private sponsor.”

Dr David Rudling, President of the Brighton and Hove Archaeological Society, said: “After years of campaigning for a return of a gallery to display some of the very rich archaeological heritage of the Brighton area, our Society is pleased that this is now planned to happen.”

One of the museum’s two local history galleries, Exploring Brighton, will close from 8 May 2017, to enable the space to be refurbished for the delivery of the new gallery. Objects removed from Exploring Brighton will be considered for redisplay as part of a later refresh of the museum’s approach to telling Brighton & Hove’s stories.